Lafourche Parish Council passes $1 million plan to aid hospital

After lengthy debate, the Lafourche Parish Council agreed Tuesday to contribute $1 million help prevent cuts at the state charity hospital in Houma.

Xerxes WilsonStaff Writer

After lengthy debate, the Lafourche Parish Council agreed Tuesday to contribute $1 million help prevent cuts at the state charity hospital in Houma.It will be coupled with an expected $2 million from Terrebonne Parish to avoid cuts to services and staff at Leonard J. Chabert Medical Center.A public-private partnership announced Monday is expected to provide the long-term solution to keep the hospital, which serves many of the area’s poor and uninsured, open.Ochsner Health System and Terrebonne General Medical Center have agreed to step in as partners to lease the hospital from the state.In September, after severe federal Medicaid cuts, the LSU board governing state hospitals announced it would cut more than $14.3 million from Chabert’s budget, eliminating 245 jobs, about a quarter of its staff.The hospital has saved $4 million by curtailing some services and enacting efficiencies, and the contribution from the local governments — along with Ochsner and TGMC — will avoid as many as 245 layoffs that had been planned.“Your money is going to offset firings and departmental service closures. That is it,” said state Sen. Norby Chabert, R-Houma, who at times hammered the lectern in his appeal to the council. Ultimately, the council approved the measure by a vote of 6-2, with most councilmen saying saving the hospital’s services to the citizens of Lafourche is a worthy cause. Here is how members voted:For: Jerry Jones, Michael Delatte, Joe Fertitta, Lindell Toups, Phillip Gouaux, Daniel Lorraine.Against: Jerry Lafont and Aaron Caillouet.Absent: John Arnold.Lafont vehemently opposed the contribution, noting there are things inside the boundaries of Lafourche Parish more deserving of the money.Lafont recited a list of broken public-works equipment before showing the council a slideshow of collapsing levees near Lockport.Parish President Charlotte Randolph defended her proposal to provide the aid, noting that Lafourche residents made more than 45,000 visits to Chabert Medical Center during the past fiscal year.“One person could have went 1000 times a year,” Lafont retorted.He also questioned the neediness of some of Chabert’s patients, citing Cadillac Escalade SUVs in the charity hospital’s parking lot.Lafont also questioned the legality of sending money derived from oil-and-gas royalties inside Lafourche to a hospital outside the parish.Caillouet emphasized that he respects the work the hospital does and the need for its services to be preserved. But, he added, the parish is being stuck with an unfair burden by deficient leadership from Gov. Bobby Jindal.“I just don’t believe that the citizens of Lafourche Parish should be subjected to what is happening,” Caillouet said. “I hate to bring the governor back up. He is cutting a lot of areas because he wants to force them to privatize.” Caillouet also noted state cuts to Nicholls State University or other entities that the council didn’t rush in to assist.“I just don’t think it is our place,” Caillouet said.